LifeSkills, United States

Studies testing its effectiveness have found the programme to reduce risk-taking behaviours by up to 75 per cent, with effects lasting for up to 12 years. LifeSkills is a universal, school-based programme for children aged between eight and 14. The programme is designed to improve resilience through the development of emotional literacy, critical thinking and the ability to cope with stress.

The LifeSkills programme has been developed and refined over the last 30 years by Dr Gilbert J Botvin, professor of public health and psychiatry at Cornell University, where he is director of the Institute for Prevention Research. Professor Botvin is widely acknowledged as being a leading expert on tobacco, alcohol and drug use prevention and has more than 260 scientific papers and book chapters to his credit.

Barnardo's is working in partnership with Waltham Forest Council to deliver this programme for three years as a part of the Life Chances programme within the borough. The programme is working with 27 schools in Waltham Forest, supporting year 4, 5 and 6 teachers in the planning, delivery and evaluation of the programme.

The reach of the programme will grow for each of the three years that the project is running, ultimately working with more than 8,000 children and 300 teachers.

Society and culture

An estimated 50,000 teachers, 10,000 schools/sites, and three million students have participated in the LifeSkills Training programme in the US. The duration of implementation varies; some sites have implemented LifeSkills for five years or longer. The programme has been extensively evaluated in more than 35 scientific studies involving more than 330 schools/sites and 26,000 students in suburban, urban, and rural settings. It has been used in all 50 states in the US as well as in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. The UK is one of 39 countries outside the US to implement a LifeSkills programme.

Waltham Forest Council recognises the myriad challenges that young people growing up in the borough are facing. Child poverty is more prevalent in Waltham Forest than in other similar London boroughs, and the area ranks 25th in a list of local authorities with the highest rates of child poverty.

The Child Poverty Action Group and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health suggest that poverty can contribute to mental ill health in children, increase the likelihood of facing adverse experiences and can reduce opportunities to build resilience. As a result of this, the council has committed to improving life for the children and young people who are growing up in Waltham Forest by "supporting schools and colleges to help young people get the skills they need".

Evidence suggests that factors such as low self-esteem, poor self-management skills, inadequate social skills and low resilience skills can make children more likely to engage in risk-taking behaviours. LifeSkills aims to address these factors and support children in developing key skills.

FACTFILE

• 40-year-old US programme works with 8- to 14-year-olds to reduce risk-taking behaviour
• Evaluation in the US shows high levels of success in changing children's behaviour generating significant savings
• The programme is adapted to different age groups with sessions focused on boosting children's resilience
• It runs in every US state and 39 countries worldwide, including the UK, which Barnardo's is leading on
• Barnardo's LifeSkills scheme in Waltham Forest is running in 27 schools and aims to reach 8,000 pupils

Legislation and policy

Over the past decade, there has been a growing understanding throughout the western world of the importance of early intervention.

In the UK, the 2011 Allen Report found that "a range of well-tested programmes, low in cost, high in results, can have a lasting impact on all children, especially the most vulnerable".

Steve Aos, from the Washington State Institute for Public Policy, has found that just £1 spent on LifeSkills will generate more than £25 in savings to education, social care and youth justice agencies. The rate on return of investment as calculated by the Social Research Unit is 72 per cent.

Within the borough of Waltham Forest, there is increasing interest in early intervention. In April 2019, Iain Duncan Smith MP commented that Waltham Forest Council officers are doing good work, "particularly in the area of early intervention with their pilot of the LifeSkills Programme".

Practice

There are two different versions of LifeSkills that are tailored to different ages.

Essential LifeSkills is aimed at 8- to 11-year-olds, while Advanced LifeSkills is aimed at students aged 11 to 14.

There are three levels of Essential LifeSkills which build on each other and work as a spiral. The second and third levels (taught in years 5 and 6 respectively) act as booster sessions so that key concepts and skills are revisited, reinforced and developed over time. Each level has nine sessions, designed to be taught in one hour. The lessons reduce individual vulnerability and foster resistance to the social influences such as media, family and friends known to contribute to the use of risk-taking behaviours.

LifeSkills is a dynamic and engaging programme that uses a variety of interactive teaching techniques, including facilitation, coaching, behavioural rehearsal and assessment. The manualised programme has a very clear structure.

All teachers who teach the programme must attend one day of training run by Barnardo's, where they learn about the science behind the programme and receive essential materials for teaching. The materials include a teacher's manual and student workbooks. These contain extensive activities that focus on changing behaviour in children. The content of the lessons is diverse, including self-image, decision making, dealing with stress, communication skills, social skills and assertiveness.

Evidence suggests that school-based programmes that engage parents are most successful. In order for LifeSkills to facilitate this, parent engagement sessions are offered to all schools. This session introduces parents and carers to the concept of resilience, discusses the challenges faced by children and young people and shows parents the materials that their children will be using as a part of the LifeSkills programme.

Outcomes

More than 40 years of robust evaluations have shown LifeSkills to be an effective early intervention and prevention programme with different children across the world.

Studies in the US have shown LifeSkills cuts drug use by 75 per cent, alcohol use by 60 per cent, youth violence by 50 per cent and smoking by 87 per cent.

The programme is rated as a Model Programme in the Blueprints for Violence Prevention, which is their highest rating.

In the UK, LifeSkills has also been evaluated by the Early Intervention Foundation as being a Level 3 programme, meaning that it has been independently assessed and shown to have the highest standards of evidence and effectiveness. The programme has been effectively scaled up and has appropriate support in place to ensure effectiveness, which is maintained when rolled out in new populations.

In addition to the behaviours that it specifically targets, LifeSkills has been shown to deliver other benefits. These include reductions in violence and delinquency, dangerous driving and risky sexual behaviours. By helping students to improve their social and emotional skills while reducing their involvement in problem substance misuse, the likelihood that children and young people will attend school regularly and improve their attainment is increased. The skills that LifeSkills teaches are also relevant to coping with stress and anxiety, and have been proven to improve core resilience skills that can help young people to engage in education.

Findings also suggest that LifeSkills can improve relationships with peers, families and broader social networks. Significant improvements have been shown in knowledge, attitudes and skills that help prevent young people from engaging in risk-taking behaviour.

BARNARDO'S UK ADAPTATION

As the programme was designed and initially implemented in the US, much work has gone into ensuring that it is applicable in the UK. Barnardo's has been championing LifeSkills across the UK and Ireland since 2012. In light of learning from the implementation of the American version, the Barnardo's UK LifeSkills team has completed an adaption of the programme.

Alongside programme developer Professor Botvin, Barnardo's made adaptations to the presentation of the LifeSkills materials to make them more relevant and engaging for children and young people and some changes have been made to a number of the activities included in the workbook.

Barnardo's provides three components to the programme: Teacher training; the adapted resources; and technical assistance - to include data analysis illustrating the impact of the programme.

As the programme is delivered by teachers, ongoing technical assistance is provided to support delivery and to monitor the fidelity of the programme. This ensures that the programme is delivered as intended and to a high standard, increasing the likelihood of a positive impact.

Essential LifeSkills is being taught in 27 schools in Waltham Forest, beginning in year 4, and is now nearing the completion of its first year.

Alex Bedwell, assistant head teacher at Longshaw Primary School in Waltham Forest, said: "LifeSkills can help us give better guidance to our pupils, teaching them how to verbalise their thoughts and feelings, giving them the skills to cope with any issues that they may face."